Music

Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" has just joined YouTube's billion-views club.

Music & Culture

Here We Are Now: On 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' Hitting A Billion Views On YouTube

2:58pm December 25, 2019

by Stephen Thompson

In 1991, it was an instant classic. Now, 28 years later, Nirvana's breakthrough joins YouTube's billion-views club, ushering in waves of teenage feelings for new generations.

Music & Culture

'White Christmas': A Holiday Concert With Rosemary Clooney

11:27am December 25, 2019

by Terry Gross

To celebrate Christmas, Fresh Air listens back to a concert given by the late singer and actress on Feb. 11, 1997. Clooney spoke about her childhood and working with Bing Crosby and Billy Strayhorn.

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This week's episode features music by Emily Smith.

Music & Culture

The Thistle & Shamrock: A Celtic Holiday Tradition

9:00am December 25, 2019

Enter the spirit of a traditional Celtic Christmastide with old carols, dance tunes and verses.

"It's the most nauseating idea in the world: a comedian in a gown leaning against a baby grand without making a joke," Ana Gasteyer says. There are plenty of jokes (and a lot of great singing) on her new holiday album.

Music & Culture

Ana Gasteyer's 'Sugar & Booze' Is Holiday Music With 'A Modern Wink'

6:33am December 25, 2019

Saturday Night Live alum Ana Gasteyer's new Christmas album, Sugar & Booze, is partly a send-up of the holiday and partly an earnest embrace of its warmth.

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Music & Culture

A Roots And Rockabilly Holiday Concert With JD McPherson And His Band

1:21pm December 24, 2019

by Terry Gross

McPherson never thought he'd make a Christmas album. Then, he says, "I got a bug in my ear." He and his band perform live in studio from Socks. Originally broadcast Dec. 11, 2018.

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Music & Culture

Tyler Childers' 'Country Squire' Is Among The Best Country Albums Of 2019

1:21pm December 24, 2019

by Ken Tucker

Blessed with a Kentucky croon and a gift for storytelling, Childers offers a slice of country life on his recent album, with songs about marriage, life on the road and the school bus he took as a kid.

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Music & Culture

Supergroup Puss N Boots Brings Cozy Tunes To The Holidays

9:25am December 24, 2019

by Raina Douris

Norah Jones, Sasha Dobson and Catherine Popper recently released a Christmas EP called Dear Santa. They performed some of the songs in a live mini concert for World Cafe.

Clairo outside the World Cafe Performance studio at WXPN in Philadelphia.

Music & Culture

How Clairo Turned A Viral Bedroom Video Into A Successful Music Career

11:30am December 23, 2019

The 21-year-old artist's song, "Pretty Girl," reached a million views on YouTube within a week. "It's very hard for me to wrap my own head around, and I understand what the internet is," Clairo says.

Amy Grant performs a Tiny Desk Concert on Nov. 7, 2018.

Music & Culture

'Tis The Tiny Season: Our 5 Favorite Holiday Tiny Desk Concerts

8:09am December 23, 2019

by Cyrena Touros

The Tiny Desk concert series is old enough to have some traditions of its own. Here are five of our favorite holiday performances from over the years.

The Choir of King's College Cambridge conduct a rehearsal of their Christmas Eve service of A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols in King's College Chapel on Dec. 11, 2010 in Cambridge, England.

Music & Culture

Commemorating A King's College Christmas Tradition

2:21pm December 22, 2019

A new album commemorates the Centenary Service of the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols at King's College, Cambridge.

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